It is impossible to imagine a summer holiday without a trip to a river, lake or pond. When the sun is beating down, you really want to plunge into the cool water. In hot weather, there are especially many holidaymakers near water bodies, especially since Belarus has a sufficient number of water objects. The most common cause of tragedies on water is swimming while intoxicated.
It is impossible to imagine a summer holiday without a trip to a river, lake or pond. When the sun is beating down, you really want to plunge into the cool water. In hot weather, there are especially many holidaymakers near water bodies, especially since Belarus has a sufficient number of water objects. The most common cause of tragedies on water is swimming while intoxicated.
According to OSVOD, a large number of people die on water bodies in Belarus every year. In 2015, 431 people died, including 31 children. As of June 27, 2016, 143 people have died on the water bodies of the Republic of Belarus, including 16 minors. 198 people were rescued, including 49 minors.
Excessive self-confidence and non-compliance with the rules of conduct on water bodies lead to tragic consequences.
We would particularly like to focus on children's recreation near water bodies. Water bodies are one of the favourite places for recreation and entertainment for children during the summer period. However, children should not be near water without adults. Both children and adults must strictly adhere to this rule. And it is parents who are obliged to talk to their children about everything that can happen, warn them about the dangers and explain the consequences. When children go to a water body without adults, they do not fully realise that they are risking their lives. And parents also do not always think about the consequences. Yet, it is enough to answer a simple question: "What if my child starts to drown, who will save them? Other children like them?".
It will not be superfluous to remind again of the rules that must be strictly observed. Let's start from the very beginning – arriving at a river or lake. As a rule, when reaching the water by private car, people spend some time in a hot car. After getting out of it, you should not rush into the water immediately, as cooling in the water causes a sharp reflex contraction of the muscles, which leads to respiratory arrest. It is necessary to rest a little, cool down, and only then go swimming.
Regarding bathing spots. It is essential to swim only in designated areas where there is no danger to health.
However, life happens, and there are situations where people swim in unfamiliar places, wanting to cool off after a long journey or for other reasons. In such cases, one must be doubly cautious. First, thoroughly inspect the shore and ensure that the chosen bathing spot is on a sandy bank with a good entry into the water. Before entering the water, carefully examine the water area adjacent to the shore: check for submerged snags protruding from the water or submerged logs hidden beneath the surface. The bottom should have a gradual slope without pits, ledges, weeds, sharp stones, glass, or other hazardous objects. Observe the water. If it is turbulent, it may indicate underwater pits, springs, or dense vegetation.
Furthermore, after selecting a suitable spot, determine the limit beyond which it is inadvisable to swim. Enter the water cautiously. Never jump into the water in unfamiliar places. Even if a place was considered safe for jumping the day before, a snag could have been washed in overnight, or someone might have thrown something into the water.
Under no circumstances should you swim until you feel chilled: hypothermia can lead to cramps, respiratory arrest, or loss of consciousness. Muscle spasms during swimming, caused by prolonged immersion in water, are often a cause of accidents.
If you experience a cramp in your arms or legs, remain calm and continue to float on your back. If your fingers feel stiff, quickly clench your hand into a fist, make a sharp outward flicking motion with your arm, and then open your fist. For a calf muscle cramp, bend over, grasp the foot of the affected leg with both hands, and pull it firmly towards you. For a thigh muscle cramp, grasp the leg on the outer side below the shin at the ankle (on the instep) and, bending your knee, pull it back towards your spine. Remember that working the cramped muscle helps to alleviate the cramp.
If you feel chilled for an extended period, exit the water, take a short but brisk run along the shore, dry yourself thoroughly with a towel, and then you can sunbathe.
Even if you are confident in your abilities, swim well and feel “at home in the water,” you should not swim too far from the shore, as you may misjudge your strength. If you feel tired, do not panic and try to reach the shore as quickly as possible. The best way to rest is to lie on your back, where, with light pressing movements of your palms on the water and leg work, you can keep yourself afloat to regain strength for further swimming.
Sometimes water can get into your respiratory organs. To get rid of it, you need to stop immediately, lift your head as high out of the water as possible, and cough vigorously. If, while standing in the water, you vigorously move your arms and legs (pressing down on the water), you can lift your head even higher, which will help you cough more effectively.
If you are caught by a current and carried to an unfamiliar place, do not give in to panic. Do not swim against the current, otherwise you may exhaust yourself. It is better to swim downstream, gradually approaching the shore at a slight angle.
You should never swim near whirlpools – they are the greatest danger in the water. They pull a swimmer to a great depth with such force that even an experienced swimmer cannot always escape. If you get caught in a whirlpool, you need to take a deep breath, dive underwater, and with a strong sideways surge along the current, surface.
In bodies of water with a lot of algae, you should try to swim close to the surface of the water without touching the plants. If your arms or legs do get entangled in algae stems, do not make sudden movements or jerks, otherwise the plant loops will tighten even more. It is better to lie on your back and try to swim out in the direction you came from with gentle, calm movements. If this does not help, you need to pull up your legs and carefully free yourself from the plants with your hands.
It is very dangerous to jump headfirst into the water from piers, as well as from rafts and other floating objects! There may be piles, rails, stones, etc. underwater. You can only dive where there is sufficient depth, clear water, and a level bottom.
Do not swim beyond the boundary markers, as they indicate an area with a checked bottom and a specific depth. Whirlpools, etc., are guaranteed to be absent there. Do not swim far from the shore or swim across a body of water as a competition. You can prove your swimming ability by swimming the same distance several times near the shore.
Swimming is strictly prohibited in the vicinity of water intake stations, dams, piers, moorings, and other hydraulic structures.
Do not swim close to passing vessels or boats, as they can create dangerous whirlpools, waves, and currents. If a vessel is moving against the river current, a swimmer could be pulled underneath it.
Avoid swimming on inflatable items. Such activities are dangerous and can often end tragically for non-swimmers.
Inflatable rings and mattresses are very buoyant. Even a slight breeze or current can carry them a considerable distance. A moment's distraction can leave the shore out of reach. Remember: an inflatable mattress is intended for use on the shore, not for swimming! A wave can capsize a mattress, or it can slip from under a swimmer and submerge them. Furthermore, any inflatable item may have a hidden defect that is not always detected in time, leading to air loss and loss of buoyancy.
Swimming with a mask, snorkel, and fins requires particular caution. Swim only parallel to the shore and always under constant supervision so that rescuers can provide timely assistance.
When discussing recreation near water bodies, it is important to mention certain aspects. For example, inflatable toys and mattresses that parents buy for children. Many mistakenly believe that inflatable rings and swimming toys are designed to protect a child in the water. However, in practice, inflatable toys are created more for enjoyment than for safety.
Toys that do not allow a child to control their position are particularly dangerous. For instance, toys like dolphins, airplanes, crocodiles, and others, on which a child sits on top, are especially hazardous because if the toy overturns, it can be difficult for the child to return to an upright position without assistance, potentially leading to drowning.
On 14.06.2015, a 12-year-old schoolgirl drowned in the Sozh River in the Vetkovsky district. A family from the village of Lopatino, Gomel district, was отдыхать by the river. The mother and her seventh-grade daughter decided to swim on an inflatable mattress. The father remained on the shore. While swimming, the mattress tilted. Slipping off it, the girl, who could not swim, went under. The river depth was 8 meters. The parents' attempts to rescue their daughter themselves were unsuccessful. Divers from the water rescue society found the girl only after 24 hours.
Dear Parents! Wherever you are resting, remember that you must not leave children unattended for even a second!
It may seem that nothing terrible can happen to a child playing in an inflatable pool if you step away for just a few minutes to take a phone call, get a drink or ice cream. However, it only takes a few seconds for a child to drown. Please do not forget this.
20.07.2015 A large family went to a body of water where they planned to fish and swim. During their recreation, the father went into the river with his four children several times to swim. At the same time, his 11-year-old daughter tried to stay close to the shore where she could reach the bottom. The girl could not stay afloat for a long time. When the man decided to swim further, his wife, who was on the shore and could not swim, stayed to watch the children. At this time, the 11-year-old girl found herself in deeper water due to a sharp drop in the riverbed's depth and began to drown. Hearing his wife's cries for help, the man immediately swam back. His search for his daughter was unsuccessful. The girl's body was recovered from the water by OSVOD divers. The family in which the accident occurred lives in a rural area and is considered a well-off family.
Water is not only a place for recreation but also a zone of danger. Caution around water is not a requirement of OSVOD and rescuers, nor is it excessive vigilance or someone's overcautiousness – it is, above all, a necessity. In short, remember that when you go on holiday with a child, the child is relaxing, but you must constantly monitor their activities, keep them in sight even for a minute, and never leave them unattended.
Take care of yourselves and your children.